“There is a fear of being run down, fired, or aggressively pursued,” someone said down the phone, in an unscheduled call, about the shitshow that is Burlesque The Musical 3.0.

Totally normal. If you missed this, Burlesque the Musical has ‘postponed’ its London opening – and cancelled its run at the new Arts at Marble Arch venue, hours after also delaying the start of its UK tour. The stage adaptation of the 2010 film, executive produced by Christina Aguilera, had been due to preview in London from 12 September, following a sold-out 2025 season at the Savoy.

Anyway, I guess we can avoid a recap no longer. Amazingly, hapless producers Steven Antin and Adam Paulden told cast and crew by email that the show’s momentum “has never been stronger,” without having to worry about boring little things like employment law or public opinion. Everything they do – and everything they neglected to do – now constitutes some sort of fuck-up extended universe.

Uselessness abounds. Inevitably, the UK tour, originally set to open at Woking Theatre tonight, has been pushed to Sunderland in August, with Woking dates shunted to November. Photos from the Woking venue showed cast rehearsing on a bare stage, no set, no lighting department, no sound. Crew have been introduced to a fourth production manager in a matter of weeks, a churn rate that speaks for itself.

I would say life comes at you fast, but of course it doesn’t.

Mmm. Certainly, BECTU union head Philippa Childs did not mince words. “We are extremely disappointed by the situation on the London opening of Burlesque the Musical,” she said. “The ‘postponement’ to 2027 will mean that freelancers will miss out on months of expected income, leaving them in financial difficulty.” She added that producers had indicated they would “endeavour to provide alternative work where possible,” but that the union was “seeking more detail on this,” a polite way of saying nobody’s holding their breath.

Then again, that’s the pattern here: reassuring statements followed by a lack of specifics, while the people actually delivering the show carry the risk. Producers insist the tour is “fully financed and on a secure footing” and that “the future of Burlesque has never been brighter.” So everything’s fine!

The Company filings admit the whole operation depends on the goodwill of one unnamed backer, with loans already secured against box office takings that haven’t happened yet. A recent bid to raise a further £3.2m, partly earmarked for a venue registered to the producers rather than the production company, reportedly found no takers.

At time of writing, industry estimates on Sunderland’s box office put sales in the low to mid twenties as a percentage of capacity, well short of covering running costs with barely a fortnight until opening. Closing that gap would mean more than doubling current sales in days, something several in the industry describe as fantasy.

Anyway: none of this is new for a show whose 18 months have included three directors, a public falling out with former creative lead Todrick Hall over royalties and credit, and repeated warnings from Equity over conditions during its West End run. What’s consistent is the gap between the language in the press releases, “strategic,” “razzle-dazzle,” “brighter than ever,” and the language from the people actually owed money and answers. 

Furthermore – and perhaps even more importantly – unions are left chasing payments. Crew are left high and dry or reshuffled. And the producers, so far, are left issuing statements with typos that promise everything and confirm nothing. Again. 

Are there any bright spots? It’s foolish to count too many chickens, but we do have to take our smiles where we can. And the peasants – the audiences – just have to suck it up. The majority self-employed creative teams shafted. The owners of the new Marble Arch Theatre left with a hole in their programming. Casual staff – on minimum wage – left without shifts.

As is the fashion of the era, we must now ask ourselves: what did we learn? There was a standout lesson, and I’m afraid it is the same one we’ve taken in this blog before: Do not get into bed with theatrical chancers. 

This week, I have been in conversation with industry figures, Unions, tabloid journalists, Arts editors and more. The currents of social media proved themselves far greater and deadlier than any of the industry’s motley crew of enforcers, traditional crisis PRs and NDA experts, and ultimately impossible to control. 

But so many silences remain deafening. I am asking you dear reader very specifically what the industry should do to focus on how it could help in more active ways than thoughts and prayers.

Update 27/7/2026

Producers of Burlesque the Musical have instructed solicitors to send me (and others) a letter over my reporting on the show’s finances and the postponed tour.
I don’t accept their complaint and won’t be apologising for anything.

My reply below.
A joyous heart always,
Carl W x